Los Angeles AFB releases notice of opportunity for ESPC

  • Published
  • By Jess Echerri
  • AFCEC Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently received proposals for a notice of opportunity for an energy savings performance contract, or ESPC, to minimize energy consumption and costs, and to reduce reliance on non-renewable energy sources at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, Sept. 9.

The request is an invitation for the 14 energy service companies, or ESCOs, on the USACE's multiple award task order contract to submit their proposals for this opportunity. 

The proposed scope of the Los Angeles ESPC includes energy conservation measures, or ECMs, for utility monitoring control systems; heating, ventilating and air-conditioning; lighting improvements; and building envelope modifications.

"The building envelope is made up of the building's wall, roof, windows and foundation. This thermal barrier is key in determining the amount of energy necessary to maintain a comfortable indoor work environment," said Les Martin, the AF ESPC program manager at the Air Force Civil Engineer Center at Tyndall AFB, Florida.

AFCEC centrally manages all Air Force ESPCs as well as other third-party funding projects. This gives base energy managers support from multiple subject matter experts while they work with ESCOs, facility occupants and various contracting agencies during the development, implementation and life of the ESPC contract.

"We found that working with AFCEC during the notice of opportunity process was an outstanding tool to access the capabilities of the contractor," said Shane Michael, energy manager at the 61st Civil Engineer and Logistics Squadron at Los Angeles.

An ESPC is a contract where the ESCO arranges financing, designs, implements, operates and maintains infrastructure improvements that increase the efficiency of energy consuming systems. The Air Force pays the ESCO back over the term of the contract, typically between 10 to 25 years, with cost savings accrued through more energy-efficient equipment and decreased utility consumption. In this way, ESPCs are a valuable and realistic tool the Air Force uses to meet energy-saving goals in these constrained budget times.

The next step in the ESPC process at Los Angeles is to evaluate the proposals and notify the ESCO selected to begin its assessment of base structures that can be improved and updated.